Reading response #4 Suspense

I find that in some novels that there are extended periods of time where nothing important or interesting happens. I feel that this ruins the suspense of the book for the reader. Thankfully Treasure Island was not one of those novels. Stevenson uses suspense very well, enough to keep the reader going but not so much as to thin the plot line. For example, when Jim isn’t doing anything interesting, the story is taken up by the ships doctor, who introduces a fresh perspective and who keeps the plot moving forward. Even before the story begins there is a piece of poetry titled. “To the Hesitating Purchaser” The first verse is:

“If sailor tales to sailor tunes,

Storm and adventure, heat and cold, 

If schooners islands, and maroons,

And buccaneers, and buried gold,

And all the old romance retold,

Exactly in the ancient way,

Can please, as me they pleased of old,

The wiser youngsters of today...” (Stevenson 4)

This little poem entices the reader right from the beginning and it gives the reader a sense of suspense without giving away too much information. 

Another example is, when Jim Hawkins goes off to steal the ship, “The Hispaniola,” away from the pirates. He says “This was my second folly, far worse than the first, as I left but two sound men to guard the house; but like the first it was a help towards saving all of us.”(Stevenson 129) This creates suspense about if he will survive his task and at the same time, what will happen to friends.

Another way the author keeps the reader in suspense, is when the crew of the ship has just started for Treasure Island. Instead of highlighting insignificant details, Hawkins says “I am not going to relate that voyage in detail. It was fairly prosperous. The ship proved to be a good ship, the crew were capable seamen, and the captain thoroughly understood his business. But before we came the length of Treasure Island two or three things had happened which require to be known.” (Stevenson 59) This spares the reader from having to read a boring play by play of events and skip right to the part which is important to the storyline. It also sets up some suspense for the chapters to come. This book kept me hooked throughout the entire read, and I never felt like there was a moment that I thought didn’t need to be included.

Reading Response #3. Comparison with Modern Media

When I was reading the book, Treasure Island I noticed that the language that was used by the pirates, is basically the same type of language that has been used in contemporary media. Long John Silver, in particular, is just like a stereotypical pirate is today.

One example between the book and contemporary media are the sea shanties. For example, in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, they sing the song “A Pirate’s Life For Me” An excerpt from the lyrics is “We pillage plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho.” In Treasure Island the song is “Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest, Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!”(Stevenson 7). I find that the two songs though written over 100 years apart still share similarities. Both are about finding treasure, and drinking, though the Disney song is much less dark. I also find pirating terms that are still heard of today. For example Silver says “Why shiver my timbers...” (Stevenson 51), “Aye aye mates” (Stevenson 58) as well as “...let her rip!” (Stevenson 66). When the crew reach Treasure Island, the lookout shouts “Land ho!” Aside from “let her rip”, which is a common saying in itself, all of the others are very typical pirate sayings that we would say when we were a kid dressing up for Halloween or when watching Spongebob Squarepants. It shows that pirate lingo has lasted a long time, and hasn’t really changed greatly.

Initially Long John Silver in the book is described as “His left leg was cut off close by the hip, and under the left shoulder he carried a crutch...He was very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham-plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling.”(Stevenson 49) Silver also has a green parrot that he has named Captain Flint. Relating this to current media, in the newly released movie Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides a man named Captain Barbossa has a peg leg, and a crutch. He also owns an exotic pet, in this case a monkey. I personally believe that Barbossa was based off of Long John Silver, because the two characters are so familiar. Either Stevenson and current artists are drawing from other historical facts about pirates, or current artists are using Stevenson’s portrait to describe pirates in current movies and media.

Reading Response #2 Long John Silver and Persuasion

The main antagonist Long John Silver, is a master of manipulation, and persuasion. And even though he is crippled with only one leg, he is able to turn the tide of almost any situation in his favor. And as a result he makes it off of Treasure Island alive, despite being a mutineer.

Silver is first mentioned in a letter by John Trelawney, a man they had sent to purchase a ship for their voyage. The letter states that, “I found he was an old sailor, kept a public-house, knew all the seafaring men in Bristol, had lost his health ashore, and wanted a good berth as cook to get to sea again... I was monstrously touched - so would you have been - and, out of pure pity, I engaged him on the spot to be ship’s cook. Long John Silver, he is called, and he has lost a leg; but that I regarded as a recommendation, since he lost it in his country’s service, under the immortal Hawke.” (Stevenson 44-45)This gave me an early impression of what I expected Silver to be, a kindly sea cook. Shortly after Jim Hawkins meets Silver, in Silvers public house, Hawkins informs him that a pirate is staying under his roof. Silver says “Here I have this confounded son of a Dutchman sitting in my own house drinking of my own rum! Here you comes and tells me of it plain; and here I let him give us all the slip before my blessed deadlight!...What could I do, with this old timber I hobble on?...The score! he burt out. “Three goes o’ rum! Why shiver my timbers, if I hadn’t forgotten my score!” (Stevenson 51), “And falling on a bench, he laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks.”(Stevenson 51) This also makes Silver seem, like a man who is kind and has good intentions. But my first impressions are changed.

Jim starts to realize that Silvers has bad intentions when he discovers that Silver is leading a mutiny against the men of the Hispaniola, the ship they are taking to Treasure Island. Hawkins discovers Silver’s duplicity when Silver is overheard talking with his shipmates about the mutiny, “‘Well, I don’t say no, do I?’ growled the coxswain. ‘What I say is, when? That’s what I say.’ ‘When! By the powers!’ cried Silver. “Well now, if you want to know, I’ll tell you when. The last moment I can manage and that’s when....I’d have Cap’n Smollett navigate us half-way back again before I struck.’” but later when he talks to Hawkins again he says, “This here is a sweet spot this island...When you want to go a bit of exploring, you just ask old John, and he’ll put up a snack for you to take along.”(Stevenson 70) Jim reflects “I had by this time taken such a horror of his cruelty, duplicity, and power that I could scarce conceal a shudder when he laid his hand upon my arm.” (Stevenson 70) 

Not only is Silver a master of speech, but his tone changes greatly depending on the situation. After the mutiny is repelled and Silvers crew loses, Silver comes back to the crew and simply says “Come back to my dooty sir.” (Stevenson 195) and Jim remarks that nights, “And there was Silver, sitting back almost out of the firelight but eating heartily, prompt to spring forward when anything was wanted, even joining quietly in our laughter-the same bland, polite, obsequious seaman of the voyage out.” (Stevenson 196)

It shows that Silver is only in it for his own hide. Throughout the story he had started a mutiny and then promptly switched sides when it all went wrong. Finally he escapes the Hispaniola at a port in the Caribbean and is never heard of again, “He had cut through a bulkhead unobserved and removed one of the sacks of coins, worth perhaps three or four hundred guineas, to help him on his further wanderings. I think we were all pleased to be so cheaply quit of him.” (Stevenson 199-200)

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Reading Response #1 Protagonist development

In the book Treasure Island, the story is told, for the most part, from the perspective of the protagonist Jim Hawkins. And though the author does not give the age of Hawkins, the reader can deduce that he is around the age 9-12. The young age helps to create an interesting coming of age story, in which Jim Hawkins enters as a child and exits as an adult.

Our story begins with Jim Hawkins, a timid boy who works hard does what he is told. He is put on the ship as cabin boy and is referred to generally as a boy. He is allowed to work on the ship because he discovers an important treasure map among a pirates possessions. When we meet him he is working at his parents inn. A pirate who is staying at the inn, gets wounded in a fight. Hawkins wants to help, but is flustered and when the pirate asks for rum, he responds, “I ran to fetch it, but I was quite unsteadied by all that had fallen out, and I broke one glass and fouled the tap... I heard a loud fall in the parlour, and running in, beheld the captain lying on the floor. At the same instant my mother, alarmed by the cries and fighting, came running down the stairs to help me....we had no idea what to do to help the captain, nor any other thought but that he had got his death-hurt in the scuffle with the stranger. I got the rum, to be sure, and tried to put it down his throat, but his teeth were tightly shut and his jaws as strong as iron.” (Treasure Island Stevenson 16) The quote shows that Hawkins was not quite ready to handle the situation in which the captain was in,  he would become more mature in dealing with problems as he grows throughout the story.

Hawkins begins to show some maturity when he accidentally finds himself in an apple barrel overhearing a conversation about a mutiny. Instead of panicking and giving away his position to the pirates, he carefully finds an oppourtunity to escape, and goes to tell the doctor, and the captain about what he heard. “I did as I was bid, and as short as I could make it, told the whole details of Silver’s conversation...And they made me sit down at table beside them, poured me out a glass of wine, filled my hands with raisins, and all three one after the other, and each with a bow, drank my good health, and their service to me, for my luck and courage.”(Stevenson 71) I believe that this shows that young Hawkins is beginning to take matters into his own hands. He is showing that he is maturing and using better judgement.

Hawkins has many adventures. He goes through battles with the mutineers, he steals the ship and hides it from the pirates, and he is later captured by the pirates. Hawkins is allowed to speak to the doctor who is helping to heal both sides, but Jim Hawkins has given his word not to escape. Hawkins has an oppourtunity to escape with the doctor. He says to the doctor “You know right well you wouldn’t do the thing yourself-neither you nor the squire nor captain; and no more will I. Silver trusted me; I passed my word, and back I go.” (Stevenson 178) This shows how far Jim has matured, he is no longer a little boy, but a man with honour and dignity. A child in most instances would have run, but a man would keep his word, despite the danger.

Welcome Post

Shiver-me-timbers and welcome to my captain’s log. Join me crew matey, and help me plunder the depths the bookTreasure Island, written by Robert Louis Stevenson. I am on a hunt to find out if Treasure Island is, was, and will be literary loot (in landlubber’s terms a classic novel.) From now until December look into your spyglass for my four posts navigating themes and experiences in the book, which I will relate to my own personal experiences and opinions. Then, I will compose an apologia of why this book is to be considered a treasure, or if it should walk the plank. You can find a bounty of useful links in a column on the starboard side. So grab your peg legs, parrots and swords because we are about to dive into a swashbuckling adventure of piracy, treasure where “X” marks the spot, and men stranded on deserted islands. Come aboard me hearty and lets set sail for Treasure Island.